A Twitch Chat Etiquette Guide for New Viewers

DISCLAIMER: This is a general guide for interacting with streamers on Twitch, whether you are a viewer or a streamer yourself. Forms of Twitch Etiquette are often "unspoken" rules that people are usually completely unaware of and unfairly penalized for. This guide's purpose is to help spread awareness of Twitch Etiquette, and encourage positive interaction with streamers. This can apply to other streaming platforms such as YouTube, and not just Twitch.

The way individual streamers will handle or follow etiquette is entirely subjective and may vary from one individual to another. These rules are not set in stone, but good to use as a reference or a general rule of thumb.

General Stream Etiquette

• Do not violate the Twitch Terms of Service, or any other streaming/video platform's Terms of Service.
• Always check if the streamer you are watching has rules in place. Different channels will have various different rules, or lack thereof.
• Do not bring up or discuss numbers, such as viewer count, in chat. Most streamers do not like to hear how many viewers they have. If they choose to, they can see the number from their own streaming dashboard.
• Never advertise your own channel/content, or ask to be promoted or "shouted out" by the streamer. Become a valued member of the community, and the streamer is more likely to check you out on their own. Avoid asking how to get more viewers to your channel; growth is a gradual process. You cannot force people to watch you or your content.
• DO NOT call out lurkers that you see in the chat's user list. This is considered bad etiquette. Those users have chosen to lurk, and they can stop lurking and chat if they choose. At that point, you can say hi to them- otherwise, calling out lurkers is considered rude. It can cause anxiety and drive lurkers away.
• Avoid unhealthy parasocial interaction and respect a streamer's/creator's boundaries. By nature, interacting with streamers can be a form of parasocial interaction. However, interacting with a content creator does not automatically make you friends with them. Understand that streamers are human beings with their own personal lives, and often separate their personal lives from their public online persona/existence. What you see on streams and social media is curated, and what a person chooses to share with the public.
• If a streamer is playing a multiplayer game, avoid asking to join them, unless they have stated that the lobby is open and/or they are playing with viewers. Streamers can and will often play games with their communities to bond and create rapport with their audience. If a streamer has not indicated that their game is open to viewers, check their rules to see how they feel about asking to accept additional players. Respect their boundaries if you ask and they say "no."
• Do not argue against a timeout within the channel. You'll probably end up getting timed out again. If there is a genuine misunderstanding, streamers will accept polite inbox messages to help resolve any issues.

• If you are timed out for caps, faces, too many symbols, and posting links, chances are the streamer has a bot with filters on. Most mods do not enforce manual time-outs for these instances.

• Avoid talking about other streamers inside another stream, even if they are friends. It is considered rude. If the streamer themselves invites or starts said discussion, then it's okay!
• If you see a streamer you recognize in someone else’s channel, please refrain from asking when they will stream again, or when they will do (insert thing here) again. Streamers deserve to have time off and don't always want to talk about their streams. They are people with lives, feelings, and outside hobbies just like you.
• If you want to know when a streamer is live, follow their channel, their social media pages, and if they have one, their Discord. Streamers usually post when they go live on their other platforms to inform all of their followers!
• Avoid posting in a streamer's chat that you are leaving to watch another stream. Doing this is often considered rude by some streamers.
• Avoid posting in a streamer's chat that you are leaving to start your own stream. Doing this can be considered rude and/or interpreted as self-promotion.
• If the streamer has information below their stream (such as panels), read them! These panels usually contain a lot of information, such as PC Specs, FAQ, Rules, and Links!
• Never tell a streamer to play a different game than the current one they are playing. If you only follow the streamer for one game, return at a later time to watch them play the one game you want to see. The channel is theirs, so they can stream whatever they choose.
• Channels will often have a title below their video. It will almost always tell you what the streamer is playing, or what they plan on doing during the broadcast.
• Donating to, subscribing to, or following a streamer does not entitle you to special treatment, or to make demands. You are a viewer, and you are not above the rules for any reason. Respect a streamer and their space(s) at all times.

Backseat Gaming

Backseat Gaming refers to excessively commenting on the in-game decisions and actions of someone playing a video game, usually toward a streamer playing said game. Examples include trying to direct the player where to go, trying to tell them to change their playing style, and dropping spoilers or end-game content in chat without the player's consent.

Unless the streamer specifically asks for help, it is usually frowned upon to make suggestions or commands- even the tiniest ones such as “go left” or “jump.” Be sure to check a streamer's rules before commenting! Some streamers are okay with backseat gaming and suggestions, while others are not.